{mental health} I talk to myself and it doesn’t mean I’m crazy.

He walked out of the bathroom the other day and said Mum if I talk to myself a lot should I be worried?

Hmm, I said I talk to myself a lot but it doesn’t mean I’m crazy. Let’s clarify what you mean. Are you speaking out loud to yourself as opposed to hearing voices or being anxious I asked?

No, I actually talk to myself out loud he said being specifically clearer.

Do you answer yourself I said out of curiosity.

He looked at me confused, but I wanted to ensure we were not talking about the voices of anxiety or alike because they are significantly different. They require deeper conversations.

You see, I said smiling. I run through conversations out loud that I need to have with people or when I have a situation I need to resolve things in or when I’m stuck and somethings not working. I do it a lot when I’m walking the dogs or in the car on my own. Sometimes I do it in the shower. Talking to myself helps me a lot. I realised I was smiling a massive smile that was perhaps not bringing him any reassurance that he wasn’t losing his mind.

So I straightened up and followed it up with no, it doesn’t mean your crazy or losing your mind. If those who are not self-talkers hear you they may think otherwise but meh, It is actually a good thing I said. I talk to myself and it doesn’t mean I’m crazy I confidently finsihed with.

It was at this point that I was going to rattle off about a 2008 study I had read that showed that when kids talked to themselves it helped improve their abilities to do activities. Then 2014 Ethan Kross Pshcologits wrote a paper on Self Talk, in it, he states that the right self-talk can instil confidence and ability to get through adverse situations. Its why sportspersons self-talk before or during a match, often with much success.

Or about the study on how talking out loud to one’s self can improve control because of its thought that hearing one’s self as an auditory command is better than a written one. Then there is the experience of Anne Wilson Schaef, a former psychologist who often encouraged her clients to speak to themselves. Not only did it improve her clients’ memories, but it also changed the way many of them felt. She believes it has something to do with who is listening to the words. “All of us need to talk to someone who’s interesting, intelligent, knows us well and is on our side and that’s us,” she says. “We’re probably the most interesting person we know. Knowing ourselves and how we feel can help us improve.”

I wanted to tell him all of that but, he looked at me queer like he was sorry he had asked and said okay, so it’s normal then. I’m not crazy.

Yes, I said completely normal and not one bit crazy. In fact its a sign of success I said. What’s not normal I continued with is you standing naked in the kitchen.

xxDeb.